New Mexico Legislature to Vote on Gay Marriage Bill

The New Mexico state legislature is set to hear a bill that could make it legal for gay couples to marry in the state.

State Rep. Brian Egolf, a Democrat, is introducing an amendment to the state's constitution in favor of marriage equality, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

"It's time to recognize all the families in New Mexico who are headed by same-sex couples," Egolf told the newspaper.

The measure is set to get its first hearing with the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, but chances of the legislation passing in a state that doesn't even offer domestic partner registries are slim, according to the New Mexican.

"The proposal probably won't have an easy time in the Legislature. Lawmakers in recent years haven't even been able to pass legislation calling for state-recognized domestic partnership agreements," the SFNM writes.

New Mexico does not currently allow for civil unions or any other type legal protections for people in same-sex relationships, gay rights organization Lambda Legal states.

While gay marriages from other states "should" be recognized in New Mexico as of 2011, no court has settled the issue.

A case that tests anti-gay discrimination laws in New Mexico is underway as a religious rights group told the state’s Supreme Court that a photographer who declined to shoot a same-sex ceremony is protected under artistic freedom and freedom of speech.